#and the way Eddie has also constantly saved Buck with his friendship and with his love

[inairthings]

The Magic of Eddie Diaz?

Another spoiler-heavy post, featuring an episode 8x17 of 911, which was very, very interesting. I don't know how reliable IMDb is because anyone with an account can vote, you just have to register to do so. The ratings haven't come out yet, but I suspect they'll be quite high. I planned this post in my head, but I didn't have anything handy to write down, and my phone's battery was running low, and I forgot my power bank at home. So, as I was writing this, I realized I was forgetting a lot of things I'd like to say. But it doesn't matter. If I don't write everything I have in my head now, I'll do it another day. After all, there's still one more episode left in the season.

POST IN SPANISH

Bobby is hinting that he’s 100% dead (I don’t want to believe it) so the show now needs something to pull it along, I don’t see any character having the pull that Bobby/Peter Krause could give it, not even the extraordinary Angela Bassett/Athena, whose stories lately I don’t know if they make sense or not, rather I think they are just to remind us that she’s still there with what I feel like they are wasting her potential, just like Maddie, with her kidnapping and now Baby Han who will supposedly be born in the next and last episode of the season, surely taking up a lot of unnecessary minutes. The thing is that last week they’ve done a lot of promotion for Buddie, and even Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark have several interviews together scheduled next week, too much of a coincidence for it to just be smoke, right?, Are they going to use Buddie as a new hook?, How are they going to use him? That’s the matter.

This week's episode had a huge variable, and that's the return of Eddie Diaz, the episode had some intense Eddie content, like his conversation with Hen and Karen, and I realized that I want more moments between Eddie and Karen, from there a beautiful friendship could come out, also very intense scenes with Buck, like a fight in which they show us that Eddie receives the devastating call in the early morning being alone and with the complicated task of telling Chris, he shows his deep sadness for Bobby's death, even a lot of guilt for not helping, doubting if his presence would have changed things, like Eddie said: Bobby saved his life, we also have a scene of Buck calling Eddie a jerk when he left him a note saying he was going to the airport and obviously believing he returned to Texas, the scene when he returns home and sees Eddie to reveal that he only said he was going to the airport, not that he was going to Texas, to reveal that he only went to the airport to pick up Chris , who is shown to be very sad for Bobby, also a great conversation between Tia Pepa and Evancito, with Pepa calling him “Cariño” (dear, honey…), I think she sees something between Buck and Eddie, our Eddie.

If with everything we've seen, Buddie isn't canon, it's definitely something to want to cancel this show. They can't use Buddie as queerbaiting, they can't keep dragging it out to keep people glued to the television waiting for them to be canon and for Tim Mienar to slowly make it clear that it's always going to be a I can but I don't want to, no, right now Buddie has only one way out and that's to be canon, this episode has made it too clear, and it's something we can repeat constantly, they have so much chemistry on screen that I think it erases everything else, if they want the series to survive Bobby, it's time for Buddie to have a big weight, but not as best friends, but as a couple, although they take it step by step without rushing. Season 9 has to start with Buddie canon and they have to give a very clear proof in the last episode of Season 8 in a week.

If the ratings for episode 8x17 are high (they haven't come out yet), although those for 8x16 were high, I think it's because of the curiosity of the doubt of whether Bobby was alive or dead, and the scores too, on IMDb the episode has a score of 8.9/10 (I don't know if IMDb is very reliable), for me it's only going to be due to one factor, and that's Eddie Diaz and that there was already a lot of anxiety to see him, the mistreatment that we know was given to this character in Season 8B has been scandalous and I think that has made many people empathize with him, basically they treated him like a secondary character, preventing him from being in the episode I think was the most relevant of the show, even the franchise, and not being able to say goodbye to Bobby, something that I think is going to haunt him for a long time, he knows what it's like to lose coworkers who were also friends, and Bobby for Eddie was more than a friend, he was a mentor, a father figure, a savior.

We must stick with the fact that Eddie is back. From the very first minutes of the episode, we've learned that he's been offered a position with the El Paso Fire Department, the question is whether he's returning to Los Angeles or staying in El Paso for good. I think, why would he bring Chris back to Los Angeles if not to stay? We know he's staying home, in Los Angeles, Hen realized that he referred to Los Angeles as home. Now, there remains the question of how to integrate him into the 118 again, Hen said that there would be a paramedic position left because they had offered him the position of captain. In the end, I bet it's going to be Chimney, this leaves the other paramedic position free and Eddie could fill it. Is Eddie and Hen a working couple? I love it, and if Hen finally overcomes her fears and decides to be Captain, Chimney will be an excellent partner for Eddie, although they would be very dangerous if there are paranormal issues involved. They gave us one of the funniest episodes of the entire show, with a cursed bracelet as the protagonist, and Eddie would be back at the 118, the place where he belongs.

EDITED: The ratings for episode 8x17 have already been released. They weren't as high as other weeks. It didn't reach 4 million, although it was close to it. But I think there were major sporting events in the United States on Thursday, like NBA?, I don't know if that had anything to do with it, or if Peter Krause's forced departure from the series will have consequences. I imagine they haven't yet accounted for the global ratings from the streaming platforms.

I haven't had much time to review this post, so please forgive any mistakes. I have a habit of writing posts in Spanish and then translate them.

[warpedpuppeteer]

Something something Tommy saying it's never great to date people you've saved but something something Buck's coma dream confirming that without Buck, Eddie would have lost control and spiraled and lost Chris. Something something he dove under a truck ladder after being crushed by one under a hail of bullets just to drag Eddie to safety. Something something he tried to dig through 40 ft of mud with his bare hands to get to a trapped Eddie. Something something he introduced Carla to Eddie and helped him be the best father Eddie can be to Chris. Something something he assured Eddie his son will be safe at school and then drove him over to see him after the earthquake. Something something he dropped everything in the middle of the night to come help Eddie when he had a breakdown and helped Chris calm down and tuck him in and stayed for Eddie to help him through it. Something something he brought Eddie to equine therapy so that Eddie can see with his own eyes what impact he has as a firefighter and to realize his worth. Something something he helped Eddie realize that he's living a lie with Ana and that he's simply stringing her along w/o loving her. Something something Chris and Eddie being upset they can't spend Christmas together and Buck arranges a surprise Christmas party at the firehouse for Eddie's little family. Something something Buck getting pissed when the prisoners threatened Chris. Something something Buck running straight into what could have been a hostile situation because he heard a gunshot and all he thought of was Eddie. Something something he didn't think twice before jumping into the water and spent hours looking for Eddie's son, Eddie's heart and reason, Eddie's everything, despite being injured and on blood thinners and barely being able to stand up.

So yeah, maybe it's not a great idea to be with someone who you saved once but what about someone you keep saving?? Someone who you would never even think twice about abandoning?? Someone who also saves you constantly by being in your life??

[azaharinflames]

you’ve had such well-thought out answers to everything 911 and bucktommy so i wanted to hear your take on this. i just came across someone writing that bvddie endgame is corroborated in the overall story and not going there is in bad faith 😵‍💫

i’m sorry but when the showrunners - both tim and kristen - plus the actor who portrays one half of that ship have emphasised over and over again the deep friendship and brotherly bond between buck and eddie…what am i missing here?

there have been numerous instances where the writers have opened up the possibility of buck realising romantic feelings for eddie and every single one of those instances have been clear: it’s always been about TOMMY

I had a long answer to this, and then the blackout happened and I lost it :/ So, trying again!

First of all, thank you so, so much, Nonnie! I really appreciate your words.

I've always thought that there is no stopping from living in delusion, if living there is all you know. But what do I know, lol.

I don't see how Buddie endgame is corroborated in the overall story, I genuinely don't. And I think anyone trying to claim the people not seeing it do it in bad faith are adding to some harmful rhetorics I've been seeing a lot in the fandom. Where if you don't like Buddie, then you're labeled as a racist and a homophobe.

Stop it. Cut that shit.

What they're doing by throwing accusations like those so easily is trivialising some very serious issues, whilst actively engaging in perpetuating those. Meaning, you cannot seriously tell me I am homophobic for not liking Buddie when in the same breath you're saying (with your whole chest, mind you) that Tommy Kinard, a canonically gay man (or Josh, also a canonically gay man), should be run over by a train. It's not a joke. It's not funny. Stop it.

Sorry for derailing there a bit, but it truly annoys me.

Look, to be very blunt here, I don't think 911 has written a single one of their pairings as being corroborated by the storyline. They've hit gold with Henren, Bathena, and Madney, and now with Bucktommy, but honestly? In all cases, it was a product of their luck in having actors that had insane chemistry together without the producers expecting it, in having actors advocating for their characters and the directions they wanted to take them in... I am not undermining the talent of the writers. There is only so much an actor can do without some good material. But I genuinely believe not a single couple of 911 was planned from the start (save Henren, because of obvious reasons), nor did they orchestrate the whole series to fit them.

Bucktommy are an anomaly (affectionate), in the way that, somehow, they fit so well, to the point that the red string theory was born. But we all know they were not planned from the start, and that Tim is probably still in shock at how hard he hit the jackpot with them.

So. For Buddie? Nothing indicates it was them from the start, and I think some small fun tidbits (like the elf in Season 2) that were done to joke around with the fans got taken too far. I'll just put in as simply as I can, I guess:

If the show wanted them to be endgame from the start, their growth would've gone perpendicular. Meaning - the actions of one would constantly be reflected in the other. Furthermore, if they were meant to be endgame, you know what we would've seen? Them acting like they do in fanfics.

Hot take, idc. But I mean it. Because in fanfics, back when I was reading Buddie, I maybe could see it (in the ones that didn't heavily mischaracterize them). A situation where they were fully supportive of each other, where they were each other's number 1 (Chris on a whole other league ofc), where their decisions were heavily influenced by each other, where they shared every big moment with each other.

But that is not what we got. And that is not what we have, for as much as they want to twist it that way.

And they made that even more obvious once Tommy came into play. Once they had Buck leaving his sister's wedding momentarily because he wanted to share that moment with Tommy (who, also, put Buck as his priority the second the emergency was over). Once they had Buck going home to his boyfriend in 710, instead of almost moving in with the Diazes to try to fix Eddie's mess. Once they showed us how Tommy takes care of him in a way no one else will, will put Buck as a priority even when they are not together (yet), will feel Buck's pain as if it were his own.

I feel like this got very long, and that my thoughts are all over the place lol. But to sum it up:

I do not think Buddie endgame is corroborated in the show, nor do I think it would be as amazing as they think it would be. Mostly because we've had Eddie looking about done with Buck several times this season (and in a no-cute way, I'll say), and mostly because after all they've done with Bucktommy, how significant they've made them so far? Yeah... I don't know if they could ever achieve that again without people thinking: Oh, but this is just a copy of Buck and Tommy. Meh.

Sorry for the long ass answer hehe. I was answering this ask shortly before the power outage, so it was on my mind most of the day (whenever I wasn't worried sick lmao)

[ohithankyou]

I don’t know how accurate this could be because then it would just make it more intentionally cruel on their part, but the way you say both scenes from the break up episode feel disjointed with the middle scene of Buck talking to Josh gives it a positive shift that things will get resolved, kinda makes me feel like Tim might’ve wrote that scene to parallel Eddie’s role is 7x04 of distracting the audience with what we think we’re supposed to be seeing and then having to rewatch to understand that no they had a different intention from the start.

And I’ve been saying 7x04 to me has always been clear that Buck’s actions have always been about Tommy, not Eddie, but to play on the Buddie’s expectations like that was cruel, especially when the writing team knows the state of toxicity of the fandom. Some people would do some toxic things regardless if 7x04 was written in a kinder light for them, but we can’t ignore that the writers did give the buddies a catalyst for their anger from the start. I’m not excusing some of their behavior (because I know it’s not the whole group), but I can better understand why some would feel like their chances for queer Eddie were diminished, because the line in which they wanted to introduce Buck’s bi storyline was muddied at best from the beginning.

If the speech was meant as a red herring for this break up I completely agree that we deserve better, and to an extent Buddies do too, because from this storyline the most they have achieved is actually separating the fandom into sides that will now constantly be after each other, and maybe it’s to save their asses, but I also just feel like they didn’t know this would be the outcome of having 7x04 play out the way it did. I do think they could’ve repeated the story though to silence the smaller side for a while (and boy did they think we were the smaller side, maybe equal at best), and have the bigger side be pleased with themselves going into this hiatus, but realistically both sides deserve better than what they’re delivering.

hi anon,

i'm sorry but i don't agree with many of the points you're making here.

first, in my opinion, there wasn't any playing on bddie expectations in 704. and just for some context, i heavily shipped buddie from seasons three-five and then season six i stepped back from fandom and my perspective of what their relationship could be, shifted (basically i no longer held the belief that there was only a romantic explanation for their relationship). anyway, when i came back to fandom pre-season seven airing, i came in neutral but with a slight bddie bias.

i had heard the rumours about tommy and bcktommy potentially being a thing and i was down for it regardless of what it meant for bddie. tbh, i wasn't even thinking about a bddie outcome.

anyway, back to 704--i genuinely did not get romantic bddie or the vibes from it then and i don't now. people are always going to look into things and that's fine but that doesn't mean that was due to the way the story was written. and although the story was written as a bait-and-switch, with a red-herring, it was quite clear to me that buck's motivations for his actions were about tommy because of the scene at the end of 703 and buck asking tommy for the tour (all before eddie and tommy's friendship is established). and even in relation to the bait and switch, red herring of it all, it was not that buck was trying to get eddie's attention because he was in love with him and jealous that tommy was occupying his attention -- but that he was jealous his best friend had a new friend who he had more in common with.

so we're essentially meant to think buck's jealous eddie has a new friend who he has more in common with and then we get to the end and realize (along with buck and tommy) wait! no! buck was jealous that eddie was occupying all of tommy's attention and buck wanted tommy's in a gay way! and then when you rewatch 704 it's abundantly clear from the start that it was always about tommy (see, harbour tour).

storytelling often follows certain patterns so red-herrings or trying to throw the audience off the trail are not uncommon so i think the parallel you mentioned is a little bit of stretch (i don't mean this in a rude way btw).

overall, i think 704 and that whole bait-switch, etc is done quite well and the story is clear in it's message because we don't have to dig deep to understand buck wanted tommy etc, it's very clear. 806, however, feels disjointed and not well executed in whatever story they wanted to tell because we have to dig around and connect pieces together ourselves to make sense of the writer's possible intentions and character motivations. i think 806 had the potential to be good had it been better executed

also the fandom related aspects you mentioned i won't be getting into bc my brain is half-off rn so i'm sorta just not even processing all of that lool (sorry) but from what i did process, again, i don't really agree

[fantasylover145]

This season it looks like Eddie isn't going to be supporting Buck too much for the breakup (though it's not the worst Buck has been through & he definitely wasn't in love with Tommy it still probably hurts) Eddie will support him if Buck wants though it isn't Eddie's priority which is fair he should focus on his mental health. It's just we constantly see Eddie leaning on Buck & Buck supporting him and Christopher with absolutely everything. I'm so glad that Eddie is on his journey to figure out what makes him happy but he is very rarely there for Buck emotionally in comparison to how much Buck is there for him. Maybe it's because Buck goes to Bobby or Maddie or even Hen when he needs support as well or Eddie just expects Buck to come to him. But it would be nice to see that concern for the other reciprocated in that, Eddie will go out of his way for Buck to care for him and help him. Like Eddie has never tried to "save" Buck emotionally like Ryan has said Eddie would usually try to do, thats a blatant misrepresentation of their relationship, usually it is always Buck "saving" Eddie every single time.

I'm not saying Eddie is a bad friend nowhere near and I am so so happy he is finally putting himself first and focusing his energy on his mental health and happiness. A breakup isn't the end of the world and Eddie isn't a bad person or friend for not prioritising Buck after his breakup. And he's still obviously going to be a good friend and listen to Buck and help him when he can but it would be nice if the dynamic switched for a bit.

Whilst the situations are entirely different I do feel like Buck and Eddie's relationship kinda mirrors Abby's and Buck's in a weird way. Like Buck and Abby's relationship was all about Buck taking care of Abby and even though Eddie and Buck's relationship is so so much deeper and Eddie has proven how much he cares for Buck whereas Abby really didn't, Buck is still the one doing the majority of the work, most of the time relationship is about Eddie. That isn't to say Eddie is a bad person or character or friend, he is an amazing friend, person and father. Also, sometimes friendships need to be unequal because one of them needs more support but it shouldn't always be unequal. That's one of the reasons I didn't like Buck and Abby's relationship because it was so unhealthy and Abby was taking advantage of Buck, and while Eddie isn't, Buck definitely does more for him than Eddie does for Buck.

Moreover, it would be nice to see Eddie give the same energy back to Buck because often times we see Eddie supporting Buck only at work or when it's convenient for him or when Buck goes to him, he never goes to check on him or goes out of his way to support him ( I don't count before the tsunami since he basically said to suck it up then too & Buck was doing him a favour by watching Christopher). Whereas, we have seen Buck on multiple occasions go out of his way to support Eddie (when Buck noticed him panicking about Ana & his panic attacks, his breakdown & after, when he was going to El Paso for his father's retirement party, introducing him to Carla, going with him when his abuela broke her hip & telling Bobby that they are taking Christopher to the station, going to the equine therapy centre, building Christopher a skateboard etc).

There are so so many times when Buck goes absolutely above and beyond for Eddie. And while Eddie has supported Buck in incredible ways and really brought him into the family don't get me wrong but apart from the will (which wasn't just for Buck, it was also for Eddie & Chris it wasn't entirely a selfless act to keep Buck alive it was for his son) Eddie hasn't really ever done any great gestures to showcase how much he cares for Buck and what he is willing to do for him in the same way that Buck knows about anyway (since Buck wasn't conscious for the lightning strike & may not remember the ladder truck too well). I hope we see more of that, we kinda did with Eddie coming over to help with Buck's boils which was sweet. I'd just love an episode where Eddie see's something is wrong with Buck and actively goes out of his way to support him and take care of him maybe Buck having a breakdown and mirroring Eddie's season 5 arc.

[watchyourbuck]

No because wait. Give me a minute of your time.

This is so indicative of something. Buck's always saying shit that sounds weird or that people look at him weird for, but the fact that is EDDIE who feels the need to explain is very... interesting. Because Buck clearly isn't uncomfortable being who he is, he is not apologetic about these comments he makes that people don't understand.

It's almost as if Eddie was in charge of Buck, but it definitely isn't as a son, or as someone he takes care of, because is Buck who's usually taking care of him & Chris. So it's not that dynamic.

The more you watch the show and analyze it, the more you realize Buck's always inside his own head. Something's always happening in that little nogging of his (hence, the fact that he couldn't really wait for his leg to heal before trying to go back to work, because he couldn't see the big picture, only the direct info his brain was being fed), while Eddie is grounded.

Eddie is grounded mostly because he has to. The PTSD doesn't allow for a hell lot of daydreaming that don't involve the risk of getting triggered (my aunt has PTSD, so I speak from her own words). So the only possible explanation within canon compliant is that Eddie is Buck's link to the real world.

Buck is always in some cloud, while Eddie is (metaphorically) holding his hand. "He's harmless" he told Marjan, because Buck didn't notice he was being rude while staring.

"That's not how he remembers it" he told Buck himself, trying to make him understand neither Chris or him hated him. He had given everything to save his son.

And then there's the scenes from the gif set. Buck is, once again, saying something related to his current hyperfixation (which is mostly connected to either a recent trauma or the infinite love he has for his chosen family), and Eddie realizes he's the only one who understands what he's saying, and feels the need to connect Buck with the rest of the world. Make people understand just HOW smart he is, because it's a little hard to make his case when the man constantly comments out of place.

(And by the way, the fact that they ALL spend a lot of time together but it's usually ONLY Eddie who knows what Buck is talking about also says a lot).

And that behavior is... not particularly friendship-coded. Yes, it could be, but it isnt necessarily. Eddie could chose not to say anything, laugh with Buck but not explain, or even ask out loud when he himself doesn't know or understand something (the green juice gif or the 'software upgrade' to Buck 3.0).

Yet he says something. Every single time. He watches him shine within his own walls and then translates for the rest of the group, and I can assure you, as a simple viewer... that it is NOT to make himself feel better or to avoid some kind of embarrassment (because we KNOW that the group associates Buck with Eddie - i mean, Bobby's always pairing them off together, and when Eddie went missing underground no one would let Buck go down, 'so we can have two cut off ropes?' said Hen-, so maybe Eddie doesn't want people to think he's the weird one, but NO).

It's because he loves him. He loves him, he understands him. It is not pity or shame or embarrassment, or annoyance. It's love.

And the love I think it is isn't friendship.

#married behavior

[matan4il]

Buddie 512 meta

I have to admit that I feel kind of funny writing Buddie meta after a Madney ep (since I love them so much and am rolling in my Madney feels right now), but this is the meta series about Buddie and Buck and Eddie... Plus, just like with Grudd’s ep on LS, there are scenes that make it clear how the 911 verse understands romantic love vs deep, loving platonic friendship, which is relevant to Buddie and needs to be pointed out, so here we go! ~~~

First, I wanna point out this: I love that Maddie saved her own life by choosing to walk out of the ocean. And I’m glad she got to tell Chim thinking about him and what her actions would do to him helped her do that when they met again. But it mattered to me that in her flashbacks, we also saw Buck telling her about his own pain over her leaving him in the past, and I really hope that at some point, he gets to hear from her that she also walked out of the ocean for him. I do think that Buck has begun to heal from his abandonment issues, but they started at such an early age, they’ll never be completely gone. And if 512 did one thing spectacularly, it was to remind us that mental health recovery isn’t built like a story, with a clear progression and an ending after which everything is good, it is a road of constantly working on healing. So Buck will always carry his fear and pain and sadness, just like Maddie will always have to deal with hers. That doesn’t invalidate that they ARE healing. But anything that can help them along their path matters. So I think it would be really important for Buck to know that he IS someone that Maddie can’t easily leave behind, just like she promised him in 316. ~~~

I made this gifset which showed on the on hand Chim and Eli having a deep, healthy, loving and platonic friendship between two men, including a comfort touch, and on the other hand... whatever Buddie were up to in 303. But it’s not just the difference between the way touch itself (Eli pats Chim on the shoulder while passing him by with a bit of physical distance between their torsos, clearly leaving Chim on his own, while Eddie puts his thumb in an incredibly intimate spot on Buck’s PULSE POINT and then HOLDS HIS GAZE while their bodies are so close THEY COULD BE SLOW DANCING), it’s also in the interaction itself. In the words that are exchanged. Eli’s pep talk in this scene is all about the practical help Chim needs. He offers it and then assures Chim it’s okay to do his thing, where very clearly it IS Chim’s thing, Eli’s not a part of it. In 303, Eddie figures out what’s mentally bothering Buck and won’t let him sink into those dark thoughts, drowning in them on his own. And it’s clear that Eddie is very much a part of what’s going on with Buck, as well as a part of how he can cope. In Boston, Eli does Chim a huge favor, letting him stay over for an unknown amount of time, rent free... and Chim’s grateful, so his first reaction is to promise he and Jee Yun will be out of Eli and his family’s hair as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Eddie essentially gives Buck nothing short of the role of co-parent to Eddie’s only child, which is insane enough as it is, but then Buck in reaction doesn’t protest or question it, he just stands there in awe, absorbing it. Which is also reflected in the way the scene was shot! Chim and Eli’s friendly support is framed by a dark apartment, whie Buck takes in Eddie words in the same manner he’s soaking the sunlight flooding the frame. Lastly, Eli and Chim’s talk is just one part of a montage (with its own background music). But Eddie and Chris at Buck’s apartment at the end of the tsunami? They arrive there after a montage has ended. They take up the whole scene, they’re not just a part of a sequence of events, and the music stops for Buddie’s conversation at the end of 303, it is THE highlight, THE scene that concludes Buddifer’s intertwined arc over no less than three eps. If we all pointed to Buddie as a friendship which is abnormally charged and intense and intimate, it’s because that’s how the show portrays it. ~~~

The entire episode felt like it was endlessly offering us parallels between Madney’s family unit with Jee Yun, and Buddifer’s. It hit me right off the bat, as the ep kicked off with Maddie’s voice over.We can hear her saying she believes Jee Yun will be better off without her as she walks into the ocean. This of course made me think of Buck telling Eddie in 414 that Chris would have been better off if had been Buck to get shot. Both Buckley siblings express a fear to their partner for the child that they’re co-parenting, while they both show signs of suicidal tendencies. It’s heartbreaking (and not surprising) that they both have this condition of depression that leads them to this idea (which we now know might also have a genetic factor), it’s also that they both express it within the same notion of caring and fearing for their kid. If this doesn’t cement that Chris is to Buck nothing short of what Jee Yun is to Maddie, IDK what will.

Another example of these parallels between their family units is how Chim sending footage of Jee Yun to Maddie when she can’t be there is reminiscent of how Buck is taking and sending pictures of himself with Chris when they’re spending a day together and Eddie can’t be with them. These are parents with their kids and their life partners, you can’t change my mind!

Which means they also have very similar moments of dread for the members of their core family unit. Just like we are shown the moment when Chim admits to another person he will have to go looking for Maddie in the morgue (and we understand the awful emotional impact of that because they are each other’s core family unit), so too we were shown that realization when it hit Buck, that he needed to go looking for Chris among those who didn’t make it in the tsunami. This moment doesn’t pack as much of a punch unless we understand how much Christopher has come to mean to Buck.

But the thing about how much you love your core family unit is you simply can’t give up on them, not as long as there’s a sliver of hope, maybe not even when there’s none at all. That’s why we see that Chim kept looking for Maddie. Even when he knew the morgue was an option, he was still going around, talking to Athena, printing and hanging up ‘missing’ posters, and then waiting for her outside the women’s mental health clinic, without any indication that she’s there and with Eli telling him that he’s crazy. Similarly, in 511 even after Buck realized Eddie might not be coming back to the 118, Buck still texted him to come along with the team to the pub, waiting for Eddie, like Buck had been waiting for months prior to that dinner they had together, showing that on some level he continued to wait even after Eddie himself told Buck not to. NGL, I think Jane Austen would approve.

Of course, as Jane Austen would tell you, or Eli (since he’s apparently a great amateur of films and their structure, he seriously rocks and is welcome to co-write my meta weekly post any day), it’s always darkest before the dawn, so before it can get better, we need to really feel the full weight of what it would mean if the protagonist for some reason won’t be able to come back to their partner after all. That’s why we have that moment when Chim sees that the ‘missing’ poster is gone, we get the expression on his face, of being completely stunned and unable to process his loss, and I think it’s SO similar to that lingering shot we got of Buck in 511, after he heard Eddie saying that he’s moved on.

That’s when the reunion can kick off, and it starts with Madney gravitating together around saving a life (something they’ve done together before in 313). It reminded me of how the first hint of a reunion we get for Buddie is the Speed call in 511, where thanks to Eddie watching Buck on the highway, the two of them could work together (Eddie on the phone, Buck in the field) to save people’s lives, just like they used to. Battlefield boyfriends forever.

Another parallel between Madney and Buddie in this ep is how the 911 verse tells us that when one of each pair is around others, they naturally shift to talking about their partner and kid. We learn this is true for Chim from Eli, and we also saw that the same applied to Eddie, because during the crossover ep, when he was on his own with Marjan, his social media naturally directed the conversation to Chris as well as to Buck...

If the thematic parallels aren’t enough, we also get the visual shot of Chim and Maddie sitting on opposite ends of the bench when things are emotionally loaded between them after their reunion, which brought back the image of Buck and Eddie sitting on opposite ends of Eddie’s hospital bed when things were about to turn so raw between them during the guardianship reveal in 414.

Lastly, the resolution of Madney’s struggle is tied to their understanding that they can’t pretend with each other. The challenge of that is obviously that sometimes we pretend with ourselves as much as we do with others. That’s what Madney realize in this ep that they had been doing and can’t continue to. And just as discussed in the 511 meta, this is what both Eddie and Buck have been doing as well. Buck even admitted he’s too apt at hiding his own feelings back in 403, right before we learned so much more about the Buckley siblings and their upbringing, which constituted the first instance of Buck acknowledging both he and Maddie carry a certain sadness with them. I just have to give the show kudos for bringing things full circle for Madney. Buddie is not there yet, but we know that they must walk the same path, and one of the strongest indications for this is that the same resolution Madney arrive at, not to pretend with each other anymore, is what Buck was hoping for in 511. They’ll get there, and when they do, it will still be something they’ll have to work at constantly (much like Madney realize in this ep), but just like the Madney reunion, I believe Buddie’s will also feel earned and satisfying.

~~~ Thank you so much for reading! Biggest thank you goes out to @whosoldherout and @judsonryder​, who made these stellar gifs for the meta. It takes a lot of time and work, and I hope that they get all the love and appreciation for what they do! And thank you to anyone who support these posts, especially with reblogs. It’s a labor of love, and a reblog is a wonderful way to spread that love around. xoxox

[littlespoonevan]

i really want to know your opinion on last night's episode! do you think we finally saw Eddie's oh moment? I see a lot of people talking about it and about his heartbreak but I'm not seeing it? like I see eddie upset about what buck is saying, but that could easily be platonic imo, my best friend saying someone else actually sees them? that would make me feel awful, like I'm here??? I see you??? and i get eddie feels lonely as well, but i dont ser that particularly related to him realizing he's in love w buck, idk idk what are your thoughts?

askjdhlf okay. where do i begin??? i should preface by saying i only got a chance to watch the last 25 mins of the ep like an hour and a half ago bc of how long it took for the ep to upload this morning so i'm still very much processing bUT

that cemetery scene was a lot.

to start by answering your question, i don't think we got an oh moment in the deliberate sense?? by that i mean, i don't think this was the show telling the audience "this is it!!!! this is the moment eddie realises he's in love with buck!!!!!" however i do think that scene did A Lot to suggest something big and buddie-related in the pipeline.

something about the tone of it felt very different to what we've gotten previously???? it's most certainly one of the longest conversations they've ever had at 3 minutes uninterrupted. it's also one of their most serious and touched on a wide range of topics (like it felt almost like a post-ep coda fic conversation to me????? askdjfh) and i think it's interesting that twice now in 6b we've had meaningful conversations between them that don't involve chris being brought up. because that's been something i've always said was maybe missing when it came to the possibility of them becoming canon??? we have so many conversations that emphasise buck/eddie/chris as a family but very few conversations between buck and eddie just about them and their friendship/relationship, y'know??

likewise eddie's reaction to natalia was in very stark contrast to the usual way he sort of snarkily comments on buck's relationships. @mellaithwen made the great catch that it paralleled buck talking about ana in 5x02 and it also reminded me of eddie's reaction to abby??? in the way it was this sort of weary-frustrated-resigned combination where he Knows this won't end well for buck and he's maybe a little bit annoyed at buck's lack of regard for himself (in 3x18 bc he's willing risk his own life for abby to save her fiancé even after she left buck the way she did and now with natalia in a 'how can you say she sees you better when the version of yourself you're showing her isn't you' way)

there's also just the big giant elephant in the room where buck is talking about how natalia sees him when eddie is the one who's always Seen him - all the way back to "to be seen to be found, isn't that what we're all searching for?". eddie is the one who constantly validates buck's feelings, who understands his reasons for the choices he makes, who knows exactly what to say to make buck open up. he even does it in this scene!!!!!! when he says "you don't have to be anything for anyone". it felt like a big fat example of dramatic irony tbh

and i think for me, regardless of what happens on the actual show, when it comes to how i write and approach canon in fic that scene acts as confirmation of my favourite headcanon that eddie knows about his feelings but buck has no fucking idea. and while we may or may not ever get real confirmation of that in canon, i think you can for sure read the scene that way without twisting it into something it's not :')

overall, you know i'm the most cautious person alive when it comes to canon buddie but i do genuinely, genuinely feel something has shifted in this scene even if it's not a definitive oh moment for now💛

[buddielove]

Hi! I'm a gay fan of 911 and I have a question about the whole Buddie fandom. As much as I like Buck and Eddie, it's frustrating that a HUGE part of the fandom is pushing for these two characters to get together instead of putting energy into supporting Hen & Carla and Michael & Dave. Not to mention Carlos and TK in Lone Star. Can you explain to me the appeal of wanting these two men together? Wouldn't it be more interesting to see two heterosexual males just be able to bond in a non-toxic fashion? That's something we don't get to see often on television.

Hey! This is MAD long lmao I am so sorry! You caught me on a day I felt like talking! Also this took like a year to answer you lolololol. This does have a few ʻhot takesʻ so please be warned! So like in this essay....

So first I am also apart of the LGBTQIA+ community, so I do understand how it could come across as a fetish or being non supportive of the current canonically LGBTQIA+ characters, however I think a lot of the interest around Buddie and the want for them to be confirmed as a couple is how they are being written. Me personally I knew since s2 e1 Buck and Eddie were written not as rivals but as two people who would eventually become friends, but it wasn’t until the Christmas episode with the elf assuming Buck was Chris’s dad and Eddie’s partner that I was like ‘hold on!’ because I was really hoping Abbey would return and I didn’t see Eddie as a possible Buck live interest because of that. The elf’s comment wasn’t played off like most other shows would (think Dean and Sam arriving anywhere in Supernatural) it made me go back and look at the other episodes to see exactly how Buck and Eddie were being framed/written. And as we have moved into further seasons I think there has been a shift in how Buddie is being written, in s3 it was very much like two people progressing into a deeper friendship then the blood clot/lawsuit gets in the way and they both have to deal with emotions surrounding that, then Buck’s response to Eddie being trapped (we see how is he when Boddy is trapped in a fire WITH A GUNMAN, it’s emotional but not to the point is is with Eddie), even the love interests feel very pushed on us and there’s so little banter between Buddie about their gfs and how they feel about these new beginnings. It feels off, not like a friendship in the slightest, more like two people trying to force something and not wanting to deal with any other feelings. Then when Eddie gets shot and reveals Buck is Chris’s legal Guardian in the event Eddie dies, that’s huge, and he did this after only a year of knowing Buck (I have friends with kids. I’ve known one of them for FIVE years, I’m at their house every week, the kid calls me family. I’m person #10 on the list of ‘who gets my kid if I die’, not #1 lol) It just feels like it’s all building up to something, and people are getting tired of waiting for that something! We’re all emotionally tired from the past two years, and probably from many shows queerbaiting us and this is something that could happen, seems to be something the actors are ok with and the fans want. So why do they keep drawing it out. This isn’t about us demanding they ignore the chance to write a healthy platonic male friendship, or forcing two characters to be gay, it’s about holding the writers to what they’ve implied and seeing what could come of it.

Also think of it like this; If Buddie is confirmed it will still be a good example of a healthy friendship which then developed into something else, like Booth/Bones! Showing the natural progression of friendship to relationship that happens a lot in real life. It’s two men who previously (on screen at least) have only been with woman, but now they have an emotionally connection with someone which they then develop and explore. This could be 911’s first nontoxic depiction of two gay characters coming together, because sorry not sorry the canon couples aren’t perfect (which does humanize them) but they also reenforce harmful troupes that plaque the LGBTQIA+ community, which I’m sure you understand: TK was a drug addict, who only got with Carlos at first cause he was hot and sex was TK’s new addition (all gay men are sex addicts who do drugs and sleep with anything that moves). Carlos was ashamed and wanted to keep TK on the downlow (poc gay men want to pretend to be straight but have free access to gay sex). Hen cheated on Karen seemingly the first chance she got (lesbians can’t handle monogamy when pushed, and cheat on their long term partners). All known and documented troupes that happen far too often.

I’m not saying Buddie is some gay jesus ship that’s gonna save the entertainment industry but if done right it could prove to be one of the few healthy depictions of two men getting into a gay relationship we have. If they plan it out correctly, show us the relationship development, like they did with Maddie/Chim for example, Buddie could be used as a positive example of a gay fictional relationship (I really could go into depth about this. I probably should tbh).

As for not supporting Hen and KAREN, or Michael and DAVID, I think fans do support them! The writers don’t. If you read fanfics Henren and Michael/David are featured heavily in many fics, and ik some people might say ‘well they’re only there so Buddie can talk about their gay side!!’ but both these couples have their own fans and fanfic tags! They aren’t just plot devices in Buddie stories. There is a huge side of the fandom that supports Henren and wants to see more of them and their family. Same with Michael and David, during the episode where Michael and Bobby team up to find that plastic surgeon who was working illegally many people where ecstatic that we were getting more Michael/David content and that David was getting more than a couple lines. But sadly it seems like the writers only want to delve into these story lines when they need filler, they even miss opportunities to include these other LGBTQIA+ characters when it makes sense;

(Someone came for me about this but I am going to bring it up again)

When Chris is sad and wants more human connection, instead of bring Harry + Michael/David and Denny+Nia+Henren back into the picture (and yes I understood at the time the pandemic was bad (lmao still is!!), but all the actors at some point would have/had crossed over into each other’s ‘bubbles’, so ALL the actors would have been exposed to each other so getting the children together with adults they had ALREADY been with during shooting wouldn’t have been a super spreader event) but instead they brought in Ana after only two on screen dates and pretended like it was a logical thing for someone who’s up to that point been extremely careful with their child.

They really could have pushed the ‘118 is a family!’ message here and included the canonically gay supporting characters, and the lesbian main character(s) but they did not and instead chose to push the Ana/Eddie coupling even though they hadn’t properly developed it yet. The writers themselves don’t seem to care about developing their canonically gay characters and including them more than they have to but fans are continuously developing Henren and Michael/David with hc and fics.

I’d like to use your logic against you for a second, in s1 we have a very healthy, platonic friendship between Chim/Bobby but that got written out to the point they are more like boss/employee unless the scene calls for them to seem closer, we now have Bobby and Michael friendship but again we hardly see Michael. On Lone Star we have Owen and Judd as a really, really good example of a healthy male friendship but we see Judd more often with Tommy now then we do with Owen, and in s2 it’s overshadowed by Owen trusting Charlie from Twilight and constantly getting fucked over! Why can’t the writter just be happy with these happy, healthy, emotionally well male-male friendship they’ve already included and expand upon them. There’s enough drama because the show literally involves burning buildings and people’s lives being at risk from some natural/man made disaster ever 12 seconds. Does it need to have so much interpersonal conflict and male peacocking??

[madamewriterofwrongs]

my darling, cj, hello!! 9-1-1 as marvel characters or disney character 💛

Well hello, sunshine! How I’ve missed your face.

I’ve already done a 9-1-1 Marvel AU so let’s talk Disney.

Now, your girl loves her Disney so we’re going to narrow it down to Walt Disney Animated Studios Leading Characters.

Let’s go!

Bobby - Elsa (Frozen). Has a dark secret that no one in their life knows about. A family death is the inciting incident for change that causes initial stress but ultimate happiness. Perpetually tired of their family’s sh*t and having to explain very basic concepts (like: you can’t marry someone you just met, or don’t use an axe when there might be a baby in the wall). When their secret finally does surface, it’s explosive and hurts their loved ones. Ice Skating.

Bonus: Bagheera (The Jungle Book). Ends up with more immature children than he knows how to handle.

-

Athena - Esmerelda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Fights for what she thinks is right. Thinks outside the box. There’s a softness for those she cares for and a swift kick in the nuts for those she doesn’t. Enjoys some sexy times but only when she’s in control. Has a kid who is ready to throw down at all times. Falls for the boring guy. 

Bonus: Shang (Mulan). Motivated by the loss of a loved one and a desire for parental approval. Would love to kick your ass if you even try to give up the good fight. 

-

Chimney - Judy Hopps (Zootopia). Big dreams in a tiny body. Smart and fast and endearingly ambitious. Makes friends everywhere just by being a decent human being. #WorkplaceDiscrimination. Big family and growing by the second but somewhat ignored by their parents. Uneasy friendship with an old bully (Tommy). Generally underestimated which proves to be an asset. Falls for a fox.

Bonus: Bernard (The Rescuers). Superstitious. Dragged into danger by his kind-of girlfriend.

-

Hen - Lilo (Lilo and Stitch). “Ohana” means family. Family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten. Sees someone she likes and immediately adopts them. The definition of Chaotic Good energy. Will bite a bitch because she deserves it. Struggles to keep her family together (and kind of messes it up). Will go to the ends of the earth for her found family. Mistakes are forgiven, your past is your own, she just loves you now.

Bonus: Nala (The Lion King). An endearing troublemaker and a serious but kind-hearted rebel who fights for what’s right.

-

Buck - Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet). Comes from a broken family but no matter what, there was an older female family member he could always rely on. Adventurous and rebellious to the point of destruction. Finds a guiding hand in a mentor who isn’t perfect but loves him like a son. Uses his skills to save people and do good. Previous hair choices we don’t like to talk about.

Bonus: Hercules (Hercules). Falls for an older woman. Knows less about the world than his muscles would suggest. Has headbutt a horse.

-

Eddie - Eric (The Little Mermaid). Struggles to find a balance between duty and desire. A traditional beauty with a booty and dark, flowing locks. Relies heavily on the advice of his elders. Humble and kind. Abhors the spotlight despite his profession/nobility. Loves doing reckless things if it means saving others. Kind of a dumbass but in a mature way...somehow - like you don’t notice it right away.

Bonus: Tiana (The Princess and the Frog). Driven by duty and hard work and yet, somehow, veers straight into danger with another dumbass. 

-

Maddie - Wendy (Peter Pan). Placed into a maternal position way too young, but she loves her brother(s) and will do anything to care for those in her charge. Kind and curious and maybe a little judgmental, but look at the people she spends time with. Seems helpless but in the face of real danger, she will throw down. She is also completely unafraid to stand up for herself in any situation. 

Bonus: Rapunzel (Tangled). Escapes an abusive relationship. Has definitely hit her boyfriend with a frying pan.

-

Michael - Pacha (The Emperor’s New Groove). Constantly getting pulled into other people’s sh*t but eventually finds it very fun. Loves his family more than anything. If he can teach you a lesson and judge you while doing it, he absolutely will. Almost loses everything but ends up gaining something special because two people are trapped together for an indeterminate amount of time.

Bonus: Pongo (101 Dalmatians). Weird meet-cute. Will fight for his family but not, like, directly.

Prompt Me with AUs

[azaharinflames]

I noticed two interesting things while watching episode 816.

The first is the development of Tommy’s character. Other fans have pointed this out too, but it's worth emphasizing: Lou is a guest star, which means he gets paid per episode. So unless a storyline specifically requires his presence, there's no real reason to include him—especially after he and Buck broke up. Despite that, he appeared in episodes 811, 815, and 816. We’ve continued to see this push and pull dynamic between Buck and Tommy, as if they're on the edge of reconciling. Episode 816 was particularly interesting because he didn’t even appear in the present timeline—he showed up in a flashback from eight years ago, where he was saving Bobby. During the funeral, he was shown as one of the pallbearers, grouped together with the other 118 members. This made me feel like Tommy is being expanded into a character with his own narrative arc, rather than just being simplified as Buck’s li. While it felt like the writers had no idea how to use Tommy during 8A, 8B feels like they’ve finally figured out a plan for him.

The second thing is that it feels like Tim has closed the door on Buddie. I always thought Tim never intended to make Buddie canon, but he kept dropping bait to keep Buddie fans engaged. Even in Aisha's interview about 811, Tim seemed to want to leave room for interpretation. But in 816, he gave no room at all. Of course, it's risky to make such a judgment based on just one episode, but if Tim wanted to bait Buddie again, 816 gave him plenty of chances. At the very least, he could have had Buck and Eddie hug—but the only interaction between them was, "I should’ve been there.", "Hey, You're here now". After this episode, I saw quite a few Buddie fans finally realizing that Tim has no intention of making them canon. It feels like he’s trying to wrap up existing storylines and rebuild the show in a new direction.

Of course, we still need to see how episodes 817 and 818 play out. But 8A felt like a chaotic mess with no clear story direction, whereas 8B feels like a completely different season. Bobby’s death is incredibly sad, but in a way, it feels like it breathed new life into the show. To be honest, I still have doubts about Tim’s storytelling abilities. However, at the very least, he seems to be trying to keep the show alive by not relying too heavily on one specific character. Even if a major character leaves, he’s finding ways to make the show survive through the remaining characters and by introducing new ones.

All great points, Nonnie.

I will add to your first point that they did build on Tommy's character whilst reminding the audience of his connection with Buck. Granted, it is not outright stated in 816, but it is in the previous episodes. And even in this one, we can try to read between the lines and see Maddie and Buck's moment as could-be foreshadowing (the I love you part, I mean). So the show is constantly building on Tommy and Bucktommy, even if in the background. Which, you know - very interesting.

To your second point - I will add that it is interesting that the one scene they could've had alone, they didn't. They had Ravi with them , and whilst it did feel natural, it is also a statement to have Eddie stay with Buck, yet not give us a scene of them together. Of course, we don't know if 817 or 818 will give us a (platonic, ofc) scene between them, but to have such a big episode that relied a lot on connection... it surely is a choice*

Lastly, I still think 8a was a bit of a mess (it had its good moments, mainly -for me- 805), but 8b is picking up on themes that 8a insinuated, and in turn making it look better. This half of the season is definitely much stronger (which I'm relieved by ngl).

*And I am not saying this from a shipping perspective. I think it was the right choice to not focus on any romantic B-plots, or anything that could hint at more. But I don't think Buddie has that type of scene, so I'm strictly referring to a friendship scene, the way we had it with multiple other characters - including Eddie and Ravi.